Shipping case



Patented May 12, 1936` fabiani p u fsmrrrNG CASE IsaacN. JordamChicago, Ill., assignorto rmour g and Company, (Chicago, 111.., a corporation `of Illinois Application January 14, Y1933, serialized. 651,110

This invention has to dowith" the utilization of `iibreboard and similar light and tough materials in the manufacture of shipping cases and has for its primary objects the strengthening oir such `li' casesto enable them to withstand rough usage and support heavy contents without adding ma# `Ixerially to theweight of the case itself. Y

l A further object is the provision'of a secure but readily releasable closure arrangement Vwhere- 10 by the'case may be readily opened Ior` inspection or removal of a portion of the contents without -impairing itsfitness for reuse. I `Yet a` further` `object is `the provision of a convenient grip "for handling the heavily loaded whue not limited `te .suon neidlr employment fthe shipping case of `my inventionis especially adapted for transportation of meats in the pack- `ing industry. Meats such 4as hams, shoulders. 90 Aand pork loins are usually shipped in unitsof 100 lbs.,a.nd the weight constitutes a large relation to bulk. Moreover, being made up of piecesthe ,contents are ynot mutually supporting andthe integrity ofthe shipment unitislargelydepend- 25 4ent upon the resistanceof the container to defcrrlfiation.4 y l o M H `In the interest of economy as `to transportation `;rates, ease of handling and materialcost, heavy I shipping cases are disadvantageousl I Fibreboard shipping vcases aref` not' per se `new `but they 'have not'satisfactorily-lmet the con- `ditions outlined because `of dilculty in effecting a secure readily. releasableclosure; for the reason that the reinforcement necessaryto strength and resistance to deformation'has hithertobeen associated Vwith an undue increase ofweight, and

, further'by reason of the smooth sides and corners of such `cases they arefnotfreadily handled 40 whenA heavilyladen.` l

` A My invention therefore resides inthe features of construction whereby are attained thehbjects hereinabove recited along with other 'advantages which will be apparent from the disclosure inthe 45 description following and in thel accompanying "drawing illustrative of af preferred embodiment of the invention.

In'the drawing,` f 1 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of `a shipping case in closed condition; Fig.` 2 is asimilar view in open condition;

Fig; 3 is al fragmentarylongitudinalsectional view on the line 3``3 of Fig. vl;

Fig. `4 is a transverse sectionalview onthe line 55 4 4 e: rig. a;

Fig. 5 is a'perspective fragmentary detail of the closure; and A Fig. 6 is one of the nbr-aboard blanks entering into theconstructionof the case. i

Referring to the preferred embodiment ofthe "invention as illustrated in the drawing, a length of fibreboard is blanked as shown in Fig. 6 to form the bottom I I of. the case, the two side walls I2 vand the `ilanges I3. At points corresponding tothe corners the material is mitered to provide notches Il and adjacent the ends to provide substantially right-angular notches I5. The blank is bent alongthey lines I6 at right-angles to form the lower longitudinal cornersof the case and along the lines I1`-at lrlght-anglestofbringthe flanges I3 into position parallel with the bottom of the case and overlying the open interior. Those portions of the longitudinaledges deflnedby the notches I4 are bent at right-angles to form ilanges Ilaand I2a as `most clearly shown in Figs. 1` and 2.

` Two other elongated rectangular sheets of, fibreboard fare transversely bent intermediate their" lengths as indicatedat I8 in Fig. 2 to form end portions I! and'topportionsl for constitute ing respectively `the vend walls and top walls of the case. 4'The end portions Iii/are of a width corre spending to that of the bottom I I and of aheight 1 correspondingto the depth of the case, while the top portions 20 are of a `length slightly greater thanonefhalf the overall lengthof vthe icase" so that when bent dow' 'ward to overliefthe side wall ilangs I3 such topportions will overlap to a limited extent. Oneof thetop portions has a cleat 2i transversely stitched tothe vfree end thereof. upon itsunderside whereas the other top portion- 20 has a similar cleat 22 transversely stitched along the free"edge"`and Vonthe upper side Athereof for apurpose yhereafter `to be eluci- In order to reinforce the ilbreboard structure of the case and-to provide afhand gripfor easy handling of the same,`theie is provideda rectangular frame of wood comprising `upper `and lower horizontally'extending,elements 23 and 2l and side vertical elements 25. The bent-over portionsll la and I 2d ofthe bottom and Aside walls of the caseare caused to overlap the outer faces of the lower horizontal'frame element 23 and the two vertical frame elements 25 while the end wallportion I9 is seated inthe space bound- `eljbyfthebottom` II andthe side walls I2 against the `inner faces of the four lframe elements 23, 24 and 25. "Thereupon `the bottom, side and end walls ofthe case are' securely connected to each other and to the reinforcing frame by a series of stitching staples 26 extending inwardly through the wood frame elements and the flbreboard wall elements and clinched upon the inside as indicated at 26a in Fig. 3.

Thus it will be seen that the reinforcing frame members may be of a minimum thickness, a fracl that lid portions 20 overlap to a limited extent and are provided with transverse cleats 22 stitched to the lower and upper faces respectively of the portions 20. These cleats are so located relative to the case ends and each otherA that the edges thereof adjacent the respective 'ends of the case substantially coincide whereby they will interlock against movement longitudinally of the case. That'is to say, when the lid portion 20 on thecleat 22 is v folded vdown upon the flanged portions I3 of the side walls, its cleat 22 will be upon the upper facethereof; and vwhen the lid portion 20 is then folded down to the same position, its cleat 2| will extend beyond the cleat 22 as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5, thus presenting an interlock or interengagement to prevent longitudinal shifting and disassociation ofthe lid portions.

The case is securely held in closed position by a metallic strip or band 21 extending about the case in its medial portion and enveloping the bottom and side walls and lidv portion, the ends being secured by any appropriate form of seal 28 for holding the ends of the bandtogether. In order to vprevent any shifting of the band 21 .out of engaging relation tothe cleats 2| and 22, the ends of these cleats are slightly beveled as lindicated at 2|a and. 22a so that together theyv present an exteriorlyobtruse, reentrant angle.

,- As the band 21 is drawn tightly about the case .in overlapping relation to the cleats 2| and 22,

it becomes seated withinsaid angle and is thus prevented from shifting from above the cleats.

Wheny it is desired vto open the case for inspec- `tion or for removal of the contents in whole or in vpart an )authorized personwillv break the seal 28 and remove .the band 21, whereupon the lid portions may be swung to the open position indicated in Fig. 2. Upon .reclosing the lid members are dropped into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 and another band is passed about the me.- dian portion of thecaseabove yboth cleats 2| and 22 and is drawn into position and resealed.

It will be observed that the bottom and side walls are firmly associated with the end wallsand securely connected by lines of stitching to the reinforcing frame; that the inner edges of the frame elements are available `exteriorly of. the

case as a hand grip in vany position of the case; that the flanged portions |3 of the side Walls 2 break joints with'the edges of the lid members and prevent the entrance of foreign matter; that the anges |3 serve to reinforce the side walls laterally; Ythat the interlocking cleats upon the overlapping ends of the lid members also overlie the flanges and side walls whereby the case is strengthened against the'llo'ad of superimposed cases; that the interlocking rengagement of the cleats 2|.and 22 hold the lid members securely against withdrawal from beneath the .binding strap, while the beveled ends of the cleats prevent the walls to which they are hinged whereby they will meet and overlap each other, and means to secure said lid members against disassociation from each other and from the side and end walls in closed condition, said means comprising cleats secured one to each of the meeting ends of the lid members one underneath and the other above and at such distances from the ends of the case that the cleats will overlap and interlock against longitudinal shifting, the cleats bridging the space rbetween the side walls of the body member and their ends being beveled to present a reentrant exteriorly obtuse angle, and a tie surrounding the body member and overlapping the cleats and seated within the angle of the cleat ends.

2. In a shipping case, a body member comprising bottom and sidewalls, two end members each having a width and height corresponding to the transverse dimensions of the body member, a pair of lid members each having a width corresponding to the width of the body member and a length slightly more than one-half the length of the body member, said lid members hingedly connected to the end members, reinforcing frames of rigid material each comprising horizontal upper and lower and vertical side elements, said frame having outside dimensions corresponding tothe inside dimensions of the body member, the ends of the walls of the body portion overlapping the side and lower frame elements and folded upon the outer faces `thereof and secured thereto, the end members secured to the inner faces oi'. the frame elements, the lid overlying the upper edges of the bodymember, and means'for securing said lid members against longitudinal disassociation from each other in closed position, said means comprising cleats secured one to each of the meeting ends of the lid members one underneath and the other above and at such distances from the ends of the case that'the cleatspwill overlap and interlock against longitudinal shifting, the cleats bridging the spacebetween the side walls of the body member and their ends being beveled to present a reentrant exteriorly obtuse angle, and a tie surrounding the body memberand overlapping the cleats and seated within the angle oi' the cleat ends.

3.'.In a shipping case of lbreboard or similar light exible fabric, a ybody member comprising integral bottom and side walls with the latt'er flanged to partially overlie the open top, two end members having a width corresponding to the inside width of the body member, a pair of lid members each `having a width corresponding to the inside width of the body member and a length 'slightly `more than one-half the length of the and bottom walls ofthe body portion overlapping of the lid members one underneath and the other the stiles and the lower rail of the frame and i above and atsuch distances from the ends oi the Afolded upon the outer faces'thereof and stitched case that the cleats will overlap and interlock thereto, the end members stitched to the inner against longitudinal shifting, the cleats bridging faces .of the frame elements and hingedly conthe space between the side walls of the body mem 5 nected to the lid members, the two lid members ber and their ends being beveled to present a reoverlying the upper edges of the body member, entrant exteriorly obtuse angle, and a tie surand means for securing the overlapping ends of ronding the body member and overlapping the the lid members against longitudinal disassocicleats and seated within the angle of the cleat ation in closed position, said means comprising ends. 10 cleats secured one to each ot the meeting ends A n ISAAC N. JORDAN. 

